Almost everyone knows that active military members and veterans are entitled to various education benefits like the GI Bill. However, even with the various programs for service members, about a quarter of veterans still have student loans to pay off. Student loans are like a nagging pain that will follow you wherever you go, even into combat. On the bright side, there are a few things to know if you are an active military member or veteran with student loans to still pay off.

For active duty members, it is important to make sure you are not being overcharged and that your loan service provider is up to code. By law, active duty members are guaranteed to not be charged any interest rate over 6%, regardless of the lender being federal or private. But what is even more interesting is that if you are an active member and are serving in a hostile combat zone, you are entitled to a strict 0% interest rate during the time of that hostile deployment. And, the best part of this 0% interest program is that it can be applied retroactively even after you are finished with your military tenure.

Once you have completed your military service, you are still granted access and eligibility to various programs and offers. Some active military loan holders are subject to 50% or 100% loan forgiveness if their deployments were in a dangerous area for a period greater than a year’s time, depending on the provider. But, before you go running into combat guns a blazing to get rid of your student loans, there are plenty of other options for student loan forgiveness. Working in the public and nonprofit sector is a great way to have the government award you some form of loan forgiveness. Now, obviously, the amount of forgiveness depends on your job and other things of that nature. Conversely, in the unfortunate case that you are disabled and or unemployable, you are entitled to complete student loan forgiveness. As for all military members, active or inactive, retired or discharged, we thank you for your service!